Never Let Go
by rusher01
Summary: LSM.ExilexHandmaiden. The Handmaiden has a heart breaking nightmare and the Exile tries to comfort her and learns the truthe about her past with Atris the hard way. first storie. one shot?


**Here is a one shot I decicded to do after I beat the game for a second time. I named the Handmaiden Hannah jus so my character could have something to call her at that time. I know full well what her real name is. My grammer isn't perfect so bear with me but I think I cleaned it up pretty good if you find a spot that's truly horrible tell me and I'll fix it. So read and review please.**

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Dacen Bruit walked along the corridors of the Ebon Hawk. He was alone. Everyone one else on the ship was either asleep or, in the case of the droids, shut down. He walked to the bathroom so he could relieve himself. Once he was done he walked back to his room were Mandalor, and Atton slept. He could here Mandalore's loud snoring over the hum of the hyper drive, but it was a soothing snore, low, rumbling, and constant, which he easily fell asleep to.

He crawled into his bunk and fell asleep as the Ebon Hawk traveled through hyperspace to Onderon. Dacen slowly drifted off into a restless sleep as he had a vision. He saw the academy on Telos. Two of the Handmaiden sisters were looking through the window to the docking bay.

"Has she returned?"

"No, but perhaps it is better that our sister remains with the exile."

"That is true she was always the lesser of us. Her face resembled her mother and was a disgrace to us all. She is also lesser in battle; her stance has too much passion in it."

"Yes, it is better that she has chosen exile than have it forced upon her."

Dacen suddenly awoke with "bitches" on his lips. How could they treat their sister with so much contempt? Dacen cared for the Handmaiden or Hannah as he called her. Since she refused to give him her name he just used the name that he thought closest resembled her title. She said she would let him use it for the time being until she saw fit to reveal her true name. He looked at the clock; he had only been asleep for half an hour. Dacen decided he might as well have something to eat, besides he enjoyed being alone at "night'. He walked to the cargo hold where they kept the food; Hannah also used that as her room. As he walked towards the room her saying that she was used to such conditions finally made sense; she was probably mistreated, being the lesser of the Handmaidens. Dacen whispered "bitches" under his breathe again.

As he reached the room Hannah's thoughts came in a flood. This took him by shock her feelings had to be strong for him to sense them without even trying.

Daddy. If only. I wish you and mother could be here. Why can't you and mother be here? Why couldn't we be together as a family why did I have to be subjugated to their ridicules?

Dacen slowly went to the door to see Hannah curled up in a corner in a fettle position silently crying. Dacen's felt a heart ached at this, he never saw her like this. Her mother's robes were clutched in her arms with her father's staff by her side. Dacen was just beginning to teach her how to use the force and never had he sensed such despair in her as they trained. He could sense no joy in her, her aura was pure despair and anguish. His eyes started to water up seeing her like this cut deeper than he thought it would.

He walked up to her and knelt next to her put a hand in her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly even though he already knew what was wrong.

Hannah just turned to look him in his eyes, her crystal blue eyes red with tears. She threw herself into Dacen sobbing into his shirt. Dacen sat down and pulled Hannah into his lap, and rocked her with his head next to hers. He took off her hood and stroked her short white hair, hushing softly. She was no longer the young woman which he loved, what he held now was a broken and neglected child which the galaxy had turned its back on.

Soon she lessened her crying and looked up at Dacen. "Why? Why do you do this? Why me of all the people? What have I done to gain your love?" she sobbed.

"Because I see someone who is beautiful both on the outside and the inside. I see someone who sees who I truly am." Dacen took a long pause trying with all his might to hold back his own tears. He had to be strong for her. "Because you remind me of me."

"I…I don't understand."

"We both carry some of the same scars. Your mother made the same choice as me and the shame of her actions is put on you just like the council shames me. You are an outcast like me, but one forced to live in constant judgment." Dacen could no longer control himself he pulled Hannah's head close to his as tears slowly streamed from his eyes.

Dacen looked at Hannah, who was still in his arms, smiling to himself knowing that he was able to have a relationship with her beyond his wildest dreams. She had quieted down her face still buried in his shirt, tears still slowly soaking his already wet shirt, as he rocked her softly.

"Han, I want to know what happened that hurt you like this. I hate seeing you like this. It…it kills me to see you like this while I'm sitting here helpless."

"I don't know. I just had this dream of my sisters talking about me and it was so real…it was as if it was happening that exact moment. It brought back so many memories and emotions that I had made myself forget."

'Damn not another Force link.' Dacen thought.

"I wasn't abused openly exactly, but I could never please anyone and I was always punished, always ridiculed for having too much passion, and my mother's crimes made them resent me for my appearance even more." At this Hannah broke down into more tears. Dacen hated this, he hated being so helpless. All he could do was hold Hannah for all she was worth.

"Fight me." Hannah spoke this barley above a whisper.

This caught Dacen off guard completely the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"Fight me it's the only way I can truly express my feelings. Fight me, and don't hold back. If you truly love me as I love you, do not hold back."

Dacen didn't really have a choice in the matter because Hannah started to undress into her undergarments as was her and the Echani's custom when fighting. Dacen reluctantly did the same and took his place on the opposite end of the room, a million thoughts flowing through his head.

"No weapons and dark side powers. Only fists and light side Force powers."

Dacen nodded and moved into a ready stance with his legs spread apart and hands outstretched ready to parry any oncoming attacks. The fight that ensued was on par to some of Dacen's more violent lightsaber fights. Hannah charged with a force speed, her hands quickly jabbing at Dacen. All Dacen could do against this onslaught was block and throw the punches aside. He slowly lost ground as Hannah continued her ruthless attack, releasing anger and passion Dacen never imagined was stored up in this warrior. Hannah drop kicked Dacen in the chest sending him back and propelling her back. She flipped over and landed on her feet fell on his back. Dacen threw himself back onto his feet just as Hannah force jumped over him while spinning to kick him in the back of the head.

"You're holding back. Now FIGHT ME!"

Dacen landed on his stomach. He spat out some blood and force pushed the ground throwing him in the air. He twisted in mid air landed on his feet. Daccen charged Hannah who spun in the air and tried to kick him. Dacen grabbed her foot in mid air and twisted it, sending Hannah spinning to the ground. Dacen took this moment to do a battle meditation, giving him a boost of strength and dexterity to combat Hannah.

Hannah picked her self up and charged Dacen a third time. Dacen dodged the attack and landed a flat handed jab squarely on her nose easily breaking it. Hannah flew back grasping her nose. Dacen thought it was over but was proven wrong when she pushed the pain out her mind and charged again throwing punches so fast he could barley block them. Dacen shifted to a defensive form opting to wear his opponent out. This proved futile, because the next ten minutes they fought neither of them gaining any ground. Hannah was bruised and battered, with blood pouring out her mouth, nose and temple while her broken ribs yelled in pain. Dacen had blood coming out of his mouth while his chest was severely bruised.

He had to end this or else Hannah would end up killing herself out of over exertion. Hannah threw a clumsy punch and Dacen grabbed her arm and snapped the bone with one deft move trying to disable his opponent. Dacen leaned over to catch his breathe, thinking the fight was over, when a foot landed in his face throwing him onto his back.

"Hannah, stop this! You're going to kill yourself!" he coarsely yelled.

Her only response was jumping in the air to land on top of him. Dacen rolled to the side caught her foot and snapped her ankle trying desperately to disable her. Hannah landed on her stomach crying out in pain. She was breathing quickly with her teethe clenched and tears streaming out of her eyes and blood out her mouth. To Dacens utter amazement she tried to get up but quickly fell down when her ankle gave under the pressure. What truly surprised him was her crawling forward still trying to attack.

"Enough." With that he put her into a stasis.

When she was finally freed Hannah fell on her face and started crying. Dacen saw now this was a hopeless cry of someone who had utterly given. He now knew the full extent of her past with Atris. All that passion and rage in her fighting showed him that. He crawled over to Hannah who was still on her face crying in agony. Dacen gently picked her up with tears streaming down his face. He took her to the med bay where he laid her bloody and broken body on the bed. He put his hand on her head sending Force healing through her body. Hannah eventually fell asleep out of pure exhaustion. Dacen stayed there for what seemed like days continually healing her body. He was surprised at how long he was able to last, amazed at how well the Force Focus form worked.

Dacen was stirred from his half sleep by Hannah moving. He stroked her head. "Hey," he said gently. "How are you doing?"

"Better," she said with a weak smile, "I over reacted back there im sorry."

"Don't be your sisters and Atris are the only ones to blame, not yourself. I understand now. And never forget that I love you so much"

Hannah smiled and got up. They both walked to the cargo hold. Dacen went to his room and got some sheets and pillows. He laid them down on the floor in the cargo hold. He and Hannah lay on them each hugging each other tightly. The held each other as close to each other as their bodys would let them. No one said as a word, they each just lay in silence with their eyes closed. Dacen held onto Hannah for dear life as he thought about what had happened. He swore to himself that he would never let anymore harm come to her.

"Dacem?"

"Hmm."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you more than you could possibly know."

"Me to. I love you so much and I swear to protect you with my life."

"Thank you. You really brought joy to my life. You brought a smile to my face and a touch to my heart."

They both fell into a deep sleep neither one of them letting each other go.


End file.
